Take Me Home
by The Chrysanthemum
Summary: AU Naruto meets a mysterious woman at Kurama's strip club. Deciding that he has taken a liking to her, Naruto vows to find out her identity and why she brings out the strangest reactions from him. NxH Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
1. Prologue

**Take Me Home**

 _By TheChrysanthemum_

Prologue

* * *

The loud rap music hurt Naruto's ears, and he squinted against the flashing red lights as Kiba dragged him inside the establishment.

"Come on, Naruto! Don't be shy," Kiba looked back at him with a sly smile. "Everybody is waiting for you there."

"I told you, why bring me at-" Naruto stuttered, not quite getting the word out.

"You're twenty-two years old and you still can't say the word," Kiba laughed. "This is not just your average strip club, ya know. It's Kurama's. Ku-ra-ma."

"Of course, you would know," Naruto rolled his eyes and let himself be tugged by Kiba.

"I finally kidnapped the birthday boy!" Kiba waved at their friends sitting on the table near the stage.

Naruto was surprised Shikamaru was there, holding a glass of scotch, but as usual, he had a bored expression on his face that showed that he would be rather be sleeping than be at the club. Sasuke was no where to be found and Choji was chowing down a bunch of hot wings, not even looking at the dancers on stage. On the other hand, Sai was the only person who was strangely fixated at the women. Neji and Lee looked nervous; their eyes darted back and forth.

"The girls would kill us if they knew we were here," said Lee. "Sakura and Ino would pulverized us!"

"Man up!" shouted Kiba over the music.

Naruto sat down and laughed. "You could have brought me to Ichiraku's and we've call it even."

"And what? Waste the most expensive lap dance I got for you?" said Kiba much to Naruto's shock and chagrin.

"You what!" he replied, his eyes bulging out of their sockets.

Shikamaru sighed, "You called us all here so we could watch a girl hump Naruto?"

"Don't worry, you all get a lap dances too."

"That's it. I'm out of here," Shikamaru gulped down the remaining scotch and stood up. "Happy birthday Naruto. I'll see you later." With a lazy wave to the gang, he walked out of the club.

"What a party pooper," grumbled Kiba. "Anyway, here she comes."

Right on cue, a girl—-though it was more appropriate to say a woman—-sauntered to wide-eyed Naruto.

"Well guys, let's leave him alone to enjoy his present," chuckled Kiba as Sai, Neji, Choji, and Lee eagerly stood up and sent Naruto side glances at his direction.

"Wait! Kiba!"

But they were already gone, leaving him with her…

His mouth dry, he gulped. He unclenched and clenched his hands. The bright lights suddenly dimmed, and he realized that she closed the curtains that surrounded them. He had nowhere to run. Deciding that this wasn't the worse thing that could happen, Naruto remained seated. The first thing that he noticed when he laid his eyes on her was her long hair that fell behind her back. He wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through the strands.

 _Would it be soft as it looks?_ he thought.

As she walked closer to him, he squinted to see behind her black mask. He could make out bits and pieces of her eyes. _What color are they?_

Naruto was perplexed. "What's your name?" he blurted out.

The woman momentarily stopped and he could smell her mingling scent of faint lavender and musk clinging to her skin. "Typically, when guys ask for a lap dance, names aren't their first priority," she whispered, amused, and he had to lean forward to catch her voice.

Naruto laughed sheepishly, "Err, you see, one of my friends... " He stopped because he didn't know how to continue without profusely blushing. He still couldn't say the word.

"Ah. I see," she said, a faint smile on her lips. "Well, Naruto," she grabbed each end of his chair and leaned forward to his face. "Do you still want your gift?"

"Milk!" He exclaimed, startling her.

She seemed taken back. "Excuse me?"

Naruto grinned bashfully. "The color of your eyes reminded me of milk."

She laughed and his thoughts immediately went to the sound of wind chimes. He found it pleasant. "You're not like the other guys, aren't you."

His hand went behind his head and grinned embarrassingly. "I'm not usually—-I mean I don't actually… er."

"It's refreshing," she replied, taking a seat next to him.

"Y-you don't have to do anything to me," stuttered Naruto. "And I'll just make up a story to tell my friends," he laughed, trying to cover up the shame that was bubbling in the surface. The shame that he was actually in the club, abandoned by his friends in his birthday.

But, maybe, it wasn't such a bad night after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Naruto is so innocent. Don't forget to R &R! **


	2. Chapter 1

**Take Me Home**

 _By TheChrysanthemum_

Chapter 1

* * *

Hinata took off the orange jacket and looked at her uniform in disgust. Her uniform consisted of spaghetti straps that barely covered her chest and a skirt that revealed her ass whenever she bended down. She looked at herself in front of the mirror of her locker. Her eyes were sunken and her skin appeared ashy like the club was quickly sucking away any of her vital life force. Gone was the bubbly and shy Hinata her family and the world knew, replaced by a…

She couldn't finish her thought. Instead she concentrated on folding her uniform properly so that it wouldn't be be wrinkled and put on her sweatpants and an oversize shirt. But her mind started to wonder. Kurama was the rock bottom that she hoped she didn't have to be. But Kurama didn't discriminate. Kurama didn't care about her family background. After being exiled from the Hyuuga clan, her own blood, she was blacklisted all over the city. Everybody avoided her and wouldn't look her in the eyes. Nobody would hire her even if she shed off her "Hinata Hyuuga" identity, everyone knew the signature Hyuuga appearance. She thought about cutting her long hair to a more manageable cut, but decided against it because it was her eyes that often betrayed her true identity to others. She heard the whispers. They were imprinted in her ears, in her skin, in her mind.

"Isn't she the girl that the Hyuuga banished?"

"She looks weak."

"Maybe that's why they cut her off."

She closed her eyes, trying to get the mocking voices out of her head. When she opened them, her reflection stared back at her. Then suddenly, Hanabi's young face flashed before. Her little sister, her sweet little sister was deemed stronger than her to run the cruel Hyuuga clan business. Like a sail that just picked up wind, her resolve was re-established. She would get her sister out and maybe, her innocence would be spared.

Shoving the locker shut, Hinata picked up her duffel bag full of her belongings and headed to her apartment. She put on her cap, obscuring any of outsider's view on her face. She blended in with the crowd against the flickering lamp lights of the red light district.

...

She opened her door to her dingy apartment and turned on the light switch. But she was still encased in darkness until she felt a familiar feel of letters on her feet.

"Damn," she muttered. She remembered that her electricity was cut off because she couldn't pay it on time due to the fact that Kurama didn't do advanced payments. But the dark didn't bother her. Her eyes adjusted pretty quickly. She collapsed on her couch and stared at the ceiling. Trying to focus on distractions that might push away the whispering suicidal thoughts inside her head that sometimes surfaced in the darkest hours, Hinata, instead, wondered about her strange encounter with a particular customer.

His shyness and awkwardness was uncommon in her line of business. She remembered a man that reminded her of a canine to give his friend, "Naruto," the best time of his life, and he paid her full in cash. Willingly to sell her soul once again, she prepared to go in there and tolerate another man-handling session. But it was soon made clear to her that he was a stranger to the proceedings of what would happen inside a club such as Kurama's. Hinata could tell that he was different. Deciding to amuse herself, she continued to poke fun at his expense and found his reactions to be rather entertaining, to say the least. He offered her a jacket when he finally noticed her clothes and despite of her protests, he stubbornly shoved the jacked into her hands as he angrily muttered along the lines of "greasy hands" and "pneumonia." Not wanting her behavior to reach the manager in Kurama's, she accepted his offer.

Then her head instinctively shifted to the orange jacket laying on the table.

 _Hmm… So his name is Naruto…_ She eventually drifted off to sleep with the image of his sheepish smile and his kind eyes.

* * *

"Naruto! Wake the hell up!" Kiba shouted, and Naruto had the strong urge to smother him with his pillow. Then he felt a familiar heavy weight on top of him.

"G-get Akamaru off of me!" Naruto grumbled as he dived his head back underneath the duvet. Warmth began to envelop him when, suddenly, the duvet was yanked out by none other than his business partner Kiba.

"What the hell, man!" He sat up and rubbed his eyes from the onslaught of sunshine slipping through the curtains.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten. Today is the big day," Kiba replied, rolling his eyes.

"Today?" Naruto's eyes widened. His head whipped to the clock on the wall. "Oh shit!"

Never had Kiba ever seen Naruto jumped off from his bed so quickly other than if it was for Ichiraku's special ramen. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!" he yelled from the bathroom.

Kiba resisted to roll his eyes again. "I did about a million times. Damn, Naruto! You must had a really good time last night if you slept through all the commotions this morning." He let out a mischievous, almost wolfish, smile. "And you came home without your favorite jacket," he added.

Getting out of the bathroom with a minute to spare was Naruto already in his father's black double-breasted suit. "Now's not the time. Shikamaru is going to be pissed if we're late," he sighed, grabbing his briefcase that was on the table.

"He needs to get laid," Kiba laughed as they headed out of the door of the apartment they shared, and toward the infamous Konoha Incorporation.

...

"I heard the CEO is an old bitch," Kiba whispered to Naruto when they were standing in front of the towering Konoha Incorporation skyscraper that stood proudly in the center of the bustling city. The fire symbol they were famous for was ingrained on a giant billboard with the words " _will of fire"_ written underneath it. The _will of fire_ was their legendary motto for their effective ways of keeping the city prospering and thriving despite of the imminent threats from foreign countries. It was, perhaps, one of the reasons why Naruto along with Kiba decided to apply for the job openings was to gain acknowledgement and recognition from the city's citizens.

Naruto's fiddled with the edge of his sleeves. "After all that years of training, we're finally here," he smiled though Kiba could immediately tell that he was nervous. For Kiba, it was puzzling to see Naruto, who, in fact, usually exuded determination and confidence to the people around him. Unfortunately, today was not the day.

"Come on, Shikamaru is waiting."

Then with a big breath, Naruto followed Kiba into the building.

* * *

 **A/N: And the plot thickens! I love candy and reviews are like candy. Don't forget to leave me some candy!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Take Me Home**

 _By TheChrysanthemum_

Chapter 2

* * *

Inside a room at the top of the Konoha Incorporation skyscraper sat a formidable force that sent shivers down Shikamaru's spine. A pen twiddled several times between her long fingers and with a raised eyebrow, she regarded the open file in front of her. "An Uzumaki, huh," a small smile played at the corners of her mouth and Shikamaru never felt bad for his friend more than he did in the moment when he saw her wicked expression.

"He's very qualified for the job," said Shikamaru but quickly added, "though he has little experience in the field."

Cool brown eyes contemplated him. "Ever since you joined this company, I was uncertain that you will succeed due to your young age, but you have exceeded my expectations. Well done, Shikamaru," she said as she picked up Naruto's picture. "I trust your judgement." Her eyes flickered back to him and he noted her softened expression that reminded him of the look filled with regret and pity. "He's the exact spitting image of his father."

It was a rare occasion to witness his boss show sentimentality because of the brute rationality and logic that came with her job. But he was well aware of her friendship with the previous deceased chief.

"Does Naruto know?" she whispered, still looking at his picture.

"Yes," replied Shikamaru. "The information only established his resolve to work here."

She put down his picture on the table. "That settles it then." She leaned back on her chair. "If he and his partner can prove that they're worthy, the jobs are theirs. However, it may not be easy. You are dismissed."

Shikamaru inwardly smirked. Crunching the numbers inside his head, he was one-hundred percent certain that she would accept Naruto along with Kiba, despite of their performance level in the tests. The Inuzuka clan had their ways of tracking rogue people in strange animalistic manners such as dogs sniffing out their preys. However, an Uzumaki was indeed a special case though more times than he could count, Naruto often put himself in troublesome situations.

...

"Hinata! Open up!" Tenten's irritated voice woke her up from her sleep. Groggily, Hinata walked to her door and unlocked it. Tenten burst through and she almost fell from her sudden entrance.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hinata as she slowly went to her kitchen to make tea.

"Oh, thank god!" Tenten rushed to her side and hugged her.

Hinata met Tenten when she was scouring for a place to stay after her banishment. She was different from the others. Others often looked at her with disgust and shame when she learned that she was the Hyuuga pariah. In fact, Tenten used to date Neji, her cousin, when she was still in college and found him to be too uptight for her liking.

"What's wrong?"

"I saw this, and I was worried." Tenten showed her the Hidden Leaf's newspaper.

Hinata's eyes landed on the bold headlines that read: **Serial Killer On The Loose! Another Victim Found."** Underneath the headline was a smiling picture of a girl, no more than eighteen years old. She hadn't started living her life yet, Hinata thought sadly.

"What does this have to do with—-"

"She was found dumped at an alley near Kurama's," interrupted Tenten. "And I thought… I came here as fast as I could."

Hinata was touched at her concern, especially when she came to her apartment during her specialized weaponry class. "I'll be careful."

They had breakfast together and after Tenten left, Hinata further looked at the details pertaining to the girl's death. Harsh realization dawned to her. She had seen the girl before working in Kurama's. According to the article, her mother reported her missing a week ago when the girl didn't arrive home after walking home from her school. She sighed, throwing the paper on the table, and leaned back against the couch. Not until her eyes caught another interesting section on the paper did her interest piqued again.

...

After Tenten's unexpected visit, Hinata finally decided to follow her gut. She didn't want to be found dead one day like the girl on the newspaper because of her stripper job. So before she could balked away from her intended plans, she fixed her head into a tight bun, zipped up her pencil skirt, and buttoned her shirt for an ordinary job that could be her ticket out of her dangerous night gig. Her eyes landed on the Job Openings section of the Hidden Leaf's newspaper, more specifically at the circle marked in red, and bit her bottom lip at the uncertainty creeping underneath her skin. **The description read, "Wanted: Secretary position. Must be literate and have experience."**

The "experience" part of the job worried her tremendously, but she steeled herself not to falter. She prayed her confidence wouldn't leave her. She also prayed that her Hyuuga afflictions wouldn't caused her employers to turn her away.

So here she was with her application, fidgeting in front of the great Konoha Incorporation as she struggled to breathe from the constriction of her skirt. For a minute, she wished she could just switch to her night persona who had more confidence until shame shoved that thought away. This was her chance to start anew. To distinguish herself from the rest of the Hyuuga clan and most importantly, to show them and the world that she wasn't a failure.

…

Naruto was impressed. Actually, "impressed" was more of an understatement. Even though he had been there multiple times, the inside of the incorporation never ceased to fascinate him. Growing vines coiled and twisted around the red columns giving the place an earthy aura, different from the technological world of the city. What Naruto liked the best were the giant portraits of the previous chiefs that were hanging at the main hall. There were five of them exactly.

Hashirama, the founder of the incorporation and the person who coined the term _will of fire_ , was the biggest portrait of them all. Hashirama's succesor, Tobirama's picture hanged below him followed by Minato. Naruto's eyes lingered a second longer at Minato's face and tried to remember to his father during his childhood days.

"Oi, Naruto!" Kiba's voice snapped him out of his trance. "We gotta go!"

"Give me a minute!" Naruto yelled back, his eyes still on Minato's smiling portrait. A prideful feeling rose within him whenever people pointed out his uncanny similarities with the Third Great Chief. Before he turned eleven, he discovered his lineage by sheer accident when he stumbled into the company. "I'm here, dad." He loudly thumped his chest with his fist. "I'll make you proud, you'll see dattebayo!"

Naruto's heels pivoted, intending on following Kiba. But he didn't see it coming. In the future when he reflected on his past actions, he would deemed the crucial moment as the second most important moment in his life. The first was when he found out his father was the legendary Minato. Nevertheless, papers flew everywhere reminding him of when he eagerly jumped on a fresh pile of snow.

His ass hit the floor before his arm could intercept the fall. He groaned, trying dull the ache on his ass and back. He opened his mouth with the intention of scolding whomever it was that bumped into him. "Watch where you're going!" he said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

A shocked pair of eyes widely stared back at him, with the same surprised expression that he must had on his face. Strands of hair so dark that it had almost a blue tint to it framed her face in a sort of disheveled manner, her neat bun mussed, and Naruto couldn't help but to stare back dumbfoundedly at her. For a split second, they were frozen and just looked at each other, like a spell was casted around them.

"Um… I'm so sorry," her lithe voice broke the silence between them, breaking the spell. "I should have seen where I was—-"

"No! It was my fault," Naruto wrung his hands as though doing it would help his apology. He began gathering the papers that fell on the floor, some belong to him and some hers. "Here," he offered his hand to her and she gracefully accepted it. His long fingers completely wrapped around her hand and for a second, a warm undefined feeling flared inside of him. It was so strange to him, catching him off guard.

"You can let go, now."

Naruto yanked his hand from hers as though it was on fire. His tie suddenly squeezed his throat and his suit felt hot—-too hot underneath her unnerving gaze. "Er, name's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki," He held out his hand.

Her eyes fell on his outstretched hand, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her dainty face. A minute passed.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging," said Naruto, but it sounded more like a whine.

"H-hinata... " she whispered, and Naruto had to lean forward to her reply. They shook hands, almost too formally.

Awkward silence hung heavily in the air. Naruto waited for her to say her last name. He coughed into his hand, wanting to fill the gap between them. "Nice to meet you, Hinata." He flashed her a smile.

"Likewise," she replied but she didn't return his smile, remaining composed and stoic. Her hard-stoned expression somehow annoyed Naruto who wanted nothing but to see another flicker of emotions passed her face.

Before he could ask her any more questions, Hinata quickly got her papers together. "I should go. I apologize, again." She bowed and ran to the direction where Kiba had ran to.

She left Naruto standing there like an idiot, his mouth gaping open like a fish out of water.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the grammatical errors. I'll fix them when I'm finished with the story. Thanks for sticking with me so far!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Take Me Home**

 _By TheChrysanthemum_

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

After Kiba and Naruto's interview, they sat inside the main hall's lounge and were too nervous to talk to each other. The interview was conducted by the Fifth Great Chief, Tsunade, or what Kiba called "CEO" for a more better term. Her hot-tempered reputation was widely known throughout the city, even so to the rest of the foreign states. Naruto groaned in frustration as he roughly ran his fingers through his hair. He made a complete fool of himself. He couldn't stop blabbering about his desires to be placed into the Task Force Department despite of his non-Uchiha lineage. Usually, the Task Force were majorly made of Uchiha's, even Sasuke was a part of it.

Naruto had an elaborate plan: be a Task Force member, gain respect from his peers and citizens, and run for office to become Chief. It was so simple in his mind that he didn't even need to account for the different variables that could be thrown in his way.

So stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! He berated himself.

Flailing his arms and feet, Naruto groaned again.

"Will you shut the fuck up!" Kiba threw a plush pillow at him, aiming for his face. "It's bad enough that you couldn't stop talking about wanting to be in the Task Force but you had to be late to our interview as well! What's the matter with you, man?" Kiba stood up and began to pace around. "We've rehearsed it a thousand times to play it cool," he wrung his hands. "Oh man, I can't face my family if I'm not in the Reconnaissance Department. That's where I'm good at, y'know?"

Naruto effortlessly caught the pillow and buried his face into it, muffling his screams of frustration.

"Oh, shit. Here comes Shikamaru," said Kiba.

Naruto flew out of his seat and almost tackled Shikamaru. "So? How did we do? Did we get it? What did she say?"

Shikamaru held up his hands. "Easy, Naruto. You're talking too fast for me get what you're saying."

"Well?" Kiba chimed in. "The results."

He sighed and placed his hands on both Naruto and Kiba's shoulder. "Sorry to break the bad news, but you guys were placed in the HR Department."

It was Naruto who reacted first. "What! That can't be right! HR is the lowest level here."

"Sorry, that's the boss's decision. She said something along the lines of 'starting from the very bottom,'" replied Shikamaru as he patted Naruto's shoulder. Kiba, on the other hand, wanted to strangle Naruto's neck for his demise.

"I need a drink," muttered Kiba.

…

Naruto was actually a bit excited. Tiny shivers ran through his fingertips as he followed Kiba into Kurama's. Sweat along with the stench of alcohol didn't hit him as hard as it did when he first came there. The red lights illuminated the dancing scandalous girls surrounded by boisterous men, their hands waving in the air, and Naruto, sometimes, had to avert his eyes from staring too long at the girl.

"Getting used to them, are ya?" Kiba grinned.

They sat down in a circular table at the back of the room where the music didn't blast as much as if they were up front near the burlesque dancers on the stage. Kiba ordered scotch on the rocks while he got whiskey. Swirling the drink in his hand, Naruto's eyes scanned the room. Girls wearing skimpy outfits, swaying provocatively around the poles, were definitely the norm, but the state of their clothes nor the amount of their cleavage didn't stir anything from him. In fact, he was uncharacteristically growing frustrated so much that he drank his whiskey in one gulp. He relished at the burn inside his throat.

"Are you looking for a particular girl?" snickered Kiba who was closely watching his behavior.

Was I doing that? he thought, perplexed. He admitted that he had a good time with the girl last night, but instead of the lap dance Kiba paid for, they struck an interesting conversation. Naruto didn't expect her to give him her name, much less her _real_ name, but it was nice once in a while for someone to actually listen to him…

"I'm an idiot," muttered Naruto to no one in particular, not even to Kiba. Was he really looking for her? What was he expecting? Ask her out and expect her to say yes?

All of the questions inside his head further made him want to drink.

"Hello, earth to Naruto." Kiba snapped his fingers in front of his face. "You look like someone whose favorite toy just got stolen."

Naruto paid no heed to him. Maybe, he really was hopeless. After his major break-up with a girl whom he thought was the love of his life, the one whom would extinguish the loneliness lingering in his heart, Naruto swore off dating completely. Like a festering wound, he couldn't forget the moment when she rejected his engagement proposal.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't marry you, not like this. Not when I'm not over him," her voice rang in his ears.

After her rejection, it took the whole gang a month just to get him outside of his apartment. A year to get him to start considering to look at other girls. Two years to make him consider the concept of dating once again.

He couldn't believe he told all of that to the masked girl—-no, stripper; he corrected himself. It might have had something to do with his low-alcohol tolerance or the look in her eyes behind her mask, but the dam that had been holding back all of his frustration, his anger, broke. He poured his heart out to a stripper. God, that sounded pathetic.

If Shikamaru or Kiba ever found out what he did, and there was a good possibility they might, they would do more than smack the back of his head.

So, what the hell was he doing there, looking for her again?

Naruto sighed, his head pounding from the effects of the whiskey and the unanswered questions running around in his mind.

…

Hinata almost ran away. She didn't expect to see him again or ever but out of all places in the city, she had to see him inside Konoha Inc. Thanks to their little encounter, she hadn't been at her best mindset that she would have liked during her interview.

All she was doing was minding her own business, trying to find her room number but out of nowhere, her papers were flying in the air, and pain exploded on her back. The worst situation she could put herself happened within a second. It wasn't her fault, or at least that was what she thought.

He looked exactly what she had in her min but brighter. When she saw him in Kurama's, it was dark but here where he was bathed in natural light, he was, for a better term, attractive. His piercing eyes hadn't lost their touch. Their conversation last night rushed back to her: his rejection, her intimacy problems, his insecurities, her self-doubts. Like doused with cold water, she recoiled from him, gathering as much papers she could to salvage her situation.

He won't remember me. He couldn't. She thought desperately.

Pushing the memory to the back of her head, Hinata walked through the French double doors with hopes in her heart for the first time since her banishment. She reflected about her interview. Despite of her non-existent work experience and her low social status, the current Chief willingly gave her a chance. Hinata tried hard not to play with the hem of her skirt. Her hands were clammy and beads of sweat gathered at her temples. The woman, Hinata heard that her name was "Tsunade," regarded her file with a collected expression, casually flipping through her resume with a nonchalant attitude. Tsunade didn't bat an eye when Hinata pronounced her last name, the notorious Hyuuga clan, in which she had to clenched her hands just to get her last name out.

"Since you need experience, you can start at the HR department on one condition," the chief momentarily paused, observing her reaction. "It also came to my attention that you have connections to Kurama's."

Hinata's heart dropped. "I— I don't know what you've heard but I only do that because… because…" _because no one would hire me._

"I know your predicament," the chief folded her arms across her chest. "But I'm sure that you've heard about the serial killer on the loose, and it appears to be that the killer is only targeting dancers at Kurama's."

"And you want me to be an insider, secretly investigating them." Hinata finished it for her.

"That'll be your first assignment if you take the job. Usually, I leave this kind of assignment to the Task Force, but my best Uchiha agents are off on other missions. Judging from your file and my own interpretation of you, you are an exceptional candidate for this job."

"I'll do it," declared Hinata. Gone was the timid, shy Hinata and this was her chance to prove herself.

The chief smiled. "Not so fast. I'm assigning two agents to this case that's also from the HR department. I'm sure you'll get along with them just fine. But for your safety, they won't know your cover. You only report to me or my trusted advisor if you notice anything strange or out of place in the club. The less people know about it, the better."

She gazed up at the sky with the full moon staring back at her. The Chief's last words engraved in her mind like hot iron pressing on her skin. "Oh, Hinata one more thing. Don't let anyone determine what you want and who you want to be. That's all. You may go."

Instead of flagging down a taxi, she decided to walk to her apartment. She inhaled the cool breeze and smiled as she gently swayed her arms back and forth.

…

The next day, Hinata was the first one to arrive in front of the HR office. For the umpteenth time in the morning, she smoothed her skirt with her palms. Maybe it was the coffee, she thought because her nerves were all over the place.

"Hello! You must be Hinata Hyuuga," greeted a sleepy voice behind her.

Hinata turned around, surprised that she didn't hear him coming. "Good morning, uh—-"

"Just call me Shikamaru. 'Mr. Nara' is just too troublesome."

"Hello," she smiled, and they shook hands.

"You're actually the punctual one in the group. Your partners are supposed to be here by now," he checked his watch, and Hinata could see that he was pissed. "They're twenty-five minutes late."

"Hey Shikamaru!"

Her breath stopped. She recognized that voice. She _knew_ that voice.

 _Oh god. Oh god._ Her panic mode began to set in.

"You're late!" Shikamaru yelled at them.

"Could you tone it down," groaned Naruto.

"We're having the worst hangover in the history of hangovers," said the other boy, whom she later knew as Kiba, massaging his temples with his forefingers.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm not even going to scold you about the importance of being on time. Anyway, this is Hinata Hyuuga, your final addition to the group."

Hinata wanted to hide, to crawl away, at least from him.

"Hi-na-ta," Naruto enunciated her name. She could almost see the bulb lighting above his head. His eyes growing wide, he snapped his fingers. "Oh! I know you! We've met before!"

"You're too fucking loud, Naruto!" hissed Kiba.

Naruto shook her hands too fervently. "I never thought I'll see you again!"

Neither did I, she thought.

"What I meant was, I'm happy to see you again!" he flashed her one of his honest smiles, and Hinata couldn't help but to return it. For some reason, her action even made him more excited.

"Okay, okay. Don't hog her now," Kiba, amused, slightly pushed him away. "Hi, my name's Kiba Inuzaka."

"Enough with the greetings," announced Shikamaru. "The chief is waiting for us and you know how much she hates to wait."

* * *

 **A/N: I've decided to have this story wrapped up in about 10 chapters. I don't like it to be too long or too short for that matter. I need a BETA reader and if anyone who a great one, please PM me. Don't forget to R &R! =D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Take Me Home**

 _By TheChrysanthemum_

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

"Her name is Tayuya Higarashi. According to Shizune's autopsy report that wasn't released in the papers for security reasons, she died of deep stab wounds, here and here and here." With her forefinger, Tsunade pointed to Tayuya's anatomy on the board, more specifically to her chest, throat, and abdomen. Naruto glanced at his case file and his eyes hardened.

Tayuya was supposed to graduate next week and now, she might never have the chance to walk across her school's stage, he thought bitterly.

"She's victim number four and we have no credible leads, so far. All we know is that she's part of a band called 'Sound Four,' but they all checked out, all have alibis. Her permanent record shows minor transgressions such as shoplifting and vandalism, but nothing too serious. Ms. Higarashi's mother called the police department on Tuesday night at exactly 10:30, because she usually arrives home before nine everyday." Tsunade sat down on her desk, her expression grave.

"Victim number one, two, and three had all been found in dumpsters around the red light district, but unlike victim four, they were missing their organs rather than stabbed," continued Shikamaru. "No fingerprints, blood, or clothing fibers found. No traces to directly trace the killer back to the crimes."

Naruto suppressed an undeniable anger bubbling inside him, and he noticed Hinata shuddered next to him.

"Why were they missing their b-body parts?" gulped Kiba who was clearly white as a sheet.

"We speculated that the killer is stealing organs to sell them in the black market, or otherwise known as organ trafficking," said Tsunade. "But what's strange is that all of our victims are young women. Organs are organs no matter whom they come from."

Hinata, who was eerily silent during their meeting, chimed in. "What makes Tayu—-Ms. Higarashi different from the other victims?"

God, Naruto had the strong urge to comfort Hinata after seeing her hands clenching her skirt underneath the table, her knuckles turning white. As if by instinct, his hand shot out and laid it on top of her hand. Her eyes slightly widened, but she didn't turn her head to acknowledge him nor tear her concentration from her case file. Instead, she didn't pull her hand away from his, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He was only comforting his friend and partner, so why wouldn't his heart stopped thrashing uncontrollably in his throat?

"Victim four seemed to be the victim of rage," answered Shikamaru. "She put up a strong fight. Defensive wounds were found on her palms and forearms."

"Your first mission is to protect Ms. Higarashi's mother. We just received the news last night that she's in Hidden Leaf's hospital. She was attacked in her home and is now in a coma. She suffered two broken bones and a concussion. There's a good chance that it was the same perpetrator who killed her daughter, and there's a great probability that the killer will come back and finish the job. So, pack your bags because you'll be heading out there, tonight." declared Tsunade as she started gathering her papers.

Naruto abruptly stood up, surprising himself and his partners. "We're not going after that bastard? Isn't better to if we start investigating before someone gets hurt again?" he said, his voice rising higher and higher.

"Naruto, sit down." Kiba hissed as he tugged him down by his shirt.

Shikamaru appeared to have expected Naruto's outburst. Tsunade, on the other hand, raised her eyebrow. "And where do you think we'll start, Naruto?" She said his name in a very deliberate manner, inviting him to test her patience.

Before he could come up with a reply, Hinata chimed in. "The chief is right, N-naruto. Ms. Higarashi's mother is the only lead we have. There's a great chance she could point us to the right direction. She may have even seen the killer's face."

His shoulders slumped, defeated at the little information they had. "Hmmn…"

"This meeting is adjourned. Don't let her out of your sight tonight. If you notice anything strange or out of place, report back to me or Shikamaru. If we have new information pertaining to the case or the killer, we'll contact you via phone. Keep it with you at all times and if something does happen before the Task Force gets there, do not directly engage. I repeat, do not engage."

Naruto had a peculiar feeling that Tsunade was specifically talking to him.

"And oh, Hinata I need to talk to you afterwards," she added and Naruto slightly pouted. Why aren't we included too? he wondered. Shrugging his shoulders and thinking it was probably nothing, he put his case file underneath his arm and walked out with Kiba and Shikamaru.

…

Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno greeted them when they arrived at the hospital's entrance. They were interns with the dreams of being medics and ambitions to surpass Tsunade's medical reputation. Naruto had always thought Ino would follow her family's tradition and work at the Intelligence Department. She had an uncanny ability to sense people's secrets that made him tremendously afraid of her, besides her temper.

Things between Sakura and him were getting better. For three years, he had been trying to build their friendship anew again, after their major fall-out. To him, whenever he saw Sakura it reminded him of the past. The past that he was reluctant to remember nor forget.

The girls led them to Mrs. Higarashi's room at an isolated area in the hospital. This is an old part of the hospital so very few people know about it, they said. They didn't account for the barely-nonexistent escape route just in case if the team ever needed it. The isolated area resided below the first floor. There was only one entrance and exit to the room. With his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he followed them along on the narrow hallway. Kiba was sniffling quietly and Naruto suppressed a laugh.

"Are you scared, Kiba?" he joked, poking him on his back.

"Shut up, idiot! I've never been away from Akamaru for this long before," he huffed.

A scenario popped in his head. If Kiba ever had the choice to choose between him and Akamaru, Naruto had the strong feeling that he would choose his dog over him. Kiba had Akamaru whereas Naruto had nobody. Sure, he had friends and acquaintances along the way, but he never experienced an intimate relationship, the deep connection he wanted to feel, where he could be free to be himself, and more importantly, free to talk to someone about his day without the need to be "funny Naruto" or the compulsion to "fit in." Even to himself, he couldn't understand what he truly wanted.

But he was absolutely sure about one thing: he wanted to feel complete.

During his brief time with Sakura, he, sometimes, suppressed his interests and tried to become the man she wanted him to be. Perhaps, that was why their relationship didn't last.

Growing up without his parents around and learning to fend for himself, Naruto still felt his loneliness creeping inside his skin at the darkest hours, which only increased his yearning to have someone fend off his demons.

…

Spider webs hang from the walls and goosebumps appeared at the back of Naruto's neck. He asked about the poor conditions of the hospital and Ino answered something how the funds were low, after the city's renovations. As they were walking to Mrs. Higarashi's room, he focused on Hinata in front of him, and his eyes concentrated at the gentle sway of her hair. The flickering lights bulbs illuminated her hair, revealing a deep blue hue shimmering like rippling water against the dimness of the hall.

A feeling of deja-vu overtook his senses.

It passed quickly, replaced by a longing he couldn't quite understand. The longer he stared at her hair, a desire to do something, _anything_ , blossomed in his chest. His fingers began to itch to touch something. Touch what exactly? He was vaguely aware that she was talking to Kiba, and everytime she turned her head to face his friend, her hair swayed even more. The yearning to tuck away the particular strand behind her delicate ear became too overwhelming that… that…

His fingers reached out and caught the strands between his fingers. Like running his thumb over a feather, he relished at the smoothness of her hair.

"What're you d-doing?"

Naruto dropped his hand, a burn traveling from his fingertips to the rest of his arm bewildered him.

"Er… I saw a spider web on your hair," he chuckled, slightly embarrassed when everyone stopped and looked quizzically at him, especially Ino.

"Oh, thank you," she replied, her hand absentmindedly running her fingers through her hair.

"I didn't see any web," cooed Ino, and Naruto's eye twitched in annoyance. Here she goes again with her crazy psychic powers, he thought.

Naruto silently thanked Kiba when he jumped into the conversation, clearing the emerging tension in the air, with a joke. They turned to a corner, and something bothered him. He wondered if Hinata was related to Neji since he rarely talked about his family.

They finally arrived at Mrs. Higarashi's room. Ino and Sakura left to tend to some other matters, leaving them to protect the victim's mother.

…

The room's furnitures were kept at the bare minimum. There was a raggedy old couch on the corner, an uncomfortable-looking bean bag chair, and no windows. Two IV's were hooked to Tayuya's mom and the beeping sound of the breathing machine echoed in the room. Hinata dropped her bag on the floor and walked toward her. Faint yellow bruises were present on her forearms and there was a thick gauze wrapped around her head. According to her file, the mom was a divorcee in her early forties, working as a cashier. Hinata wondered how Tayuya's mom could afford the two bedroom apartment at Rasengan Inn, one of the high-end residence in Hidden Leaf, on a minimum wage.

Hinata knew Tayuya though she never talked to her. Her band often came to play at Kurama's before the dancers would take over the stage. Tayuya wasn't a stripper nor a dancer, yet she received a gruesome end. Hinata clenched her fists, wanting nothing more than catch the person who did it. If she it wasn't for her banishment, she could use her Hyuuga influence to afford the best detectives in the city.

"H-hinata, are you okay?" Naruto's voice sounded concerned.

"I'm fine," she replied, perhaps, too quickly.

"You're crying... "

She slowly brought her hand to her cheeks. Sure enough, her cheeks were wet, and she was taken back. "I don't… uh."

Naruto came beside her. "Don't worry, we'll catch that bastard. I swear it."

"Me too! We'll definitely catch the one who did this!" Kiba added.

Hinata firmly nodded _. I do hope so._

…

The phone was heavy inside her pocket. When Tsunade called her aside after their meeting today, Hinata thought she had done something wrong. Instead, she was given a special phone, different from their regulated work phone for this case. Her hand patted the phone, almost nervously.

"This phone is different from what I've given to Naruto and Kiba. This is in case of emergency if something bad happened while you're undercover," said Tsunade.

Frankly, Hinata was never good at hiding secrets, especially to her new teammates. Guilt would start to settle and she would avoid looking them at their eyes. _This time is different. It's for a mission. S_ he hardened her resolve. _Besides, it was their first night on duty and nothing had happened so far._

"Ne, Hinata do you want something to eat?" asked Kiba, holding his wallet in his hand. "I'm starving and I'm going to the cafeteria to get some food." As if in cue, his stomach rumbled.

"Get me some ramen!" exclaimed Naruto.

"No, thank you," she answered Kiba.

The more she spent time with Kiba, the more she realized that his rugged appearance didn't justify his sweet, caring nature toward her. Though often times, the red marking on his cheeks, he had mentioned that they were customary tattoos he received in his childhood, reminded her of a loyal canine.

Midnight was closing in and the boys insisted that she could sleep on the couch. Profusely refusing to receive any special treatment from them just because she was a girl, Hinata was thoroughly bewildered when Naruto suddenly stood up, gathered some of her belongings consisted of a pillow and a blanket, and placed them on the couch.

"I've called dibs on the bean bag and Kiba's sleeping bag is already prepared." Naruto pointed out. "Kiba is sleeping near the door so he could alert us if something is not right with his crazy sensory skills," grimaced Naruto. "Did you know his nose could detect what you ate for breakfast?"

She'd admit it was a sweet gesture. After Kiba had left and Hinata started to lay down on the couch, pulling her blanket up to her neck, Naruto started conversating with her. At first, it was about trivial things such as Akamaru using Naruto's shoes as chew toys, his college professor Jiraiya spending all of his money on booze, his daily life sharing an apartment with Kiba, his dream of becoming the Chief, and when he mentioned his birthday, Hinata froze.

"... And Kiba already paid for it! Of course, it was my first time there and it was definitely weird but I—-" Naruto suddenly stopped, mid-sentence.

Hinata turned to face him, her whole body laying on its side on the couch. "But what?" she whispered, frowning at his sudden silence.

"I don't know why I'm telling all of this and I've just met you today," he slowly murmured. "It's like… it's like as if by just talking to you, a weight is being lifted on my shoulders." He tilted his head, the intensity of his eyes scrutinizing her every move. "You must think I'm weird," he muttered, tearing his gaze away from her.

Hinata sat up so quickly that her blanket slid off to floor. "No, I don't think you're w-weird," she replied, her face swiftly becoming warm. She wished she could've had stopped there but the words rushed out of her mouth like water gushing out of a fountain. "I like it when you talk, especially about your yourself, your dreams, your goals. I wish I could have the confidence to do the same."

After blurting her thoughts out, Hinata buried her face on her pillow. The urge for the ground to rise up and swallow her was looking more and more like a good idea. Seconds passed by with only the sounds of the breathing machine, Hinata peeked to see Naruto quietly picking her blanket off the floor and gently draping it on her body. "Thanks Hinata. Y'know, I like you more than Kiba."

His smile illuminated his face.

He looked contented.

She was mesmerized at the soft crinkles of his bright eyes.

"Now, y'know some things about me but it's your turn," Naruto placed his chin on the couch, near her hips, observing her.

She pursed her lips. Doubts flew inside her mind. Would he discriminate her just like the others? Would he shun her? Tenten became her friend after finding out her past, but she didn't have a choice; it was a shot in the dark. Could she take that shot again?

As though sensing her reluctance, Naruto started his story. "Let me tell you about the time I borrowed Sai's paintbrushes," he chuckled. "Well, I didn't exactly tell him I was borrowing them... "

It was past midnight and Hinata's eyes began to feel immensely heavy. After hours of listening to Naruto's antics and Kiba, who came back with chips on his hands, joined in the conversation, she was already drifting off to sleep.

"...G'night Hinata."

* * *

 **A/N: Ah, don't you just love their blossoming friendship with hints of something deeper? I just finished watching "Naruto: The Last Movie" (I know I'm so late) and I was basically squealing at all of the NaruHina moments. Ugh, don't you wish Kishi would show more of NaruHina in the Naruto Gaiden? I really want to see how Naruto and Hinata interact now that they're married and have kids. Boruto and Himawari are just too cute. (Can't wait for the movie! But with where I live, It'll be months before I see it on eng sub.)**

 **Don't forget to R &R! Reviews are like the equivalent of food. I need it to keep my fuel going. =D**

 **Thanks again!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Take Me Home**

 _By TheChrysanthemum_

 **Chapter Five**

* * *

It was past midnight. Tsunade's eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and strands of blonde hair stuck out of her head. Still wearing her nightgown covered by a woolen shawl, she paced around the room while regarding the team's situation.

"Now tell me, again."

It was the third night of their mission. They were in the middle of their card game and Kiba was dominating it. Out of a sudden, Mrs. Higarashi's body jerked. The lines on the heart monitor spiked. Everything happened in slow motion. The cards slowly fell out of Hinata's nimble fingers and fluttered onto the floor. He saw the sheer panic rising in her eyes, so vividly clear, and the confusion, bewilderment, appearing on Kiba's face. It was as though Naruto floated out of his body and watched the scene unfolded.

"Call the doctor! Nurse! Anyone!" yelled Hinata, who sprang from the floor and appeared by Mrs. Higarashi's bedside in less than a second, as Kiba ran to the 1st floor. "Naruto, hold her feet down. I'll take her arms."

SNaruto did as she told him. Mrs. Higarashi's eyes flew opened and Naruto only saw white. Her pupils rolled to the back of her head.

"Naruto! Hold her down!"

Like peering through a fogged glass window, everything became blurred.

…

"Who came to her room?" asked Tsunade, still pacing around with her hand absentmindedly stroking her chin.

Kiba scratched his head. "Nurses came in and out all the time."

"Shikamaru, get Sakura and Ino on conference call."

A minute later, Sakura and Ino's tired faces appeared on the screen. "Ms. Shizune definitely came to Mrs. Higarashi's room yesterday afternoon to check on her condition. Based on the surveillance video we found, we were unable to verify who came in and out of the room, because of the poor quality of the video."

"Send the surveillance video. I'll have the Cyber Department handle it," said Tsunade.

"Damn! We'd never let her out of our sight!" Naruto slammed his fists against the wall. "How? How could this happen?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Why did the killer have the need to kill Mrs. Higarashi when she was already good as dead? There was little chance she would wake up due to her head injuries, so why bother?"

Silence permeated in the room. Shikamaru's question lingered in the air, begging to be answered.

…

Naruto kicked the swivel chair and it flew toward the wall with a loud thump. "How could that bastard slip past us!"

"Calm down, Naruto." said Shikamaru, who was leaning against the doorframe and watching him with almost a discontented gaze. "There's nothing to gain with you throwing a tantrum. As interested as it is watching you beat up an innocent chair, it's better if you put your energy into organizing these paperworks." He pointed to the mounting folders on the table.

Naruto glared at him, "How does this," he wrung his hands at the paperworks, "help with the investigation?"

Shikamaru sighed, "I know this is sounds like a mundane task for you but let me assure you, it's for the best. The boss knows what she's doing and she'll let you know if there's any progress in the investigation. For the meantime... "

 _Stay put._

Naruto didn't need him to say those words out loud. He understood his underlying message loud and clear. "Fine," he muttered dejectedly.

"Kiba and Hinata should be here shortly."

Shikamaru left, shutting the door behind him. True to his word, his teammates arrived, wet and shivering from the thundering rain outside. It was nine o'clock in the morning and it looked like hell broke loose, with the gray, ominous clouds and the heavy sounds of raindrops hitting against the window. "I hate rain," shuddered Kiba, his clothes soaking wet and his appearance reminded Naruto of a quaking dog.

For the rest of the morning, the atmosphere in their office was bleak and at best, depressing. It was unspoken, lingering around them. _They failed at their first mission._

Because of it, they were stuck behind desks, sorting out reports about missing pets, citizens' complaints, and such while the killer roamed around the streets. Most importantly, Naruto hated feeling helpless. He hated the feeling of utter defeat, knowing that he couldn't do something about it except wait.

"Um… Naruto, you're tearing the 'Missing' poster," Hinata's voice snapped him out of his daze.

He looked down and the poster became nothing but a crumbled paper. "S-sorry, Hinata. I'm just—-" he couldn't put it into words.

"I know," she murmured, and something about her voice made him turn his head and looked at her.

After their little conversation, Naruto reigned in his frustration and anger, and focused on the tasks at hand. Boring as it was, sorting out the papers actually produced a strange calming effect on him. His mind wasn't running in a speed of a bullet train nor was his hands itching for a fight. For the first time after Mrs. Higarashi's death, he could think clearly.

"Ne, Hinata do you think it really was one of the nurses who did—-" he turned his face beside him but stopped mid-sentence when he saw her eyes fluttering shut, her head threatening to fall hard on the table.

She was falling asleep.

Naruto didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead, he took of his jacket. He even shushed Kiba's loud self-mutterings. Slowly putting his palms on either side of her face, he put her head on his makeshift pillow.

Naruto studied her sleeping form. Under the bright, luminescent lights, Naruto noticed dark circles underneath her eyes, strongly contrasting against her pale complexion. The shade of pink which he had gotten used to seeing it on her cheeks were also drained like watercolors fading on a canvas. His fingers also twitched at the urge to smoothen the tension between her brows, her expression appeared almost pained.

He shook his head at the numerous thoughts running in his mind that would probably be deemed as inappropriate about his co-worker, and instead, he focused back to his paperwork.

…

After a week of being constricted behind a desk, Naruto was pissed off. There was little progress in catching the serial killer, especially the vague details surrounding Mrs. Higarashi's death. Just yesterday, Tsunade informed them about the untraceable poison that was used to kill Mrs. Higarashi.

"I've spent many years countering poisons as a medic, but never had I encounter this kind before." Tsunade said with a hint of fascination much to Naruto's annoyance. "However, I have a hunch based on Mrs. Higarashi's sudden seizure, not from her injuries, but from the deadly abrus precatorius plant, or otherwise known as rosary pea."

"So, you're saying that the woman died because of a plant?" Naruto asked, incredulously.

"Not just any plant, Naruto," said Kiba as his eyes narrowed. "My older sister, Hana, runs a veterinary clinic and one day when I was helping around the place, a client came in with her horse. The horse was having violent convulsions after accidentally eating the seeds," Kiba replied gravely.

"Oh," Naruto murmured.

"Mr. Inuzuka is correct. The seeds of the rosary pea are toxic when consumed. I have to run further tests to confirm that her death is caused by the pea."

Naruto crumbled the animal poster in his hand and threw it at the trashcan near the door. "I can't take this anymore! If I spend one more day in this office, I think I'm going to strangle myself!"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic. We're lucky that we're even in the investigation. Isn't that right, Akamaru?"

Just in cue, Akamaru barked.

"I thought dogs weren't allowed in the building," said Naruto.

"Akamaru isn't _just_ any dog. He's the fourth member of our team!" declared Kiba as he and Akamaru started wrestling on the floor.

"Now that I think about it, where's Hinata?" Naruto looked around the office, hoping to get a glimpse of her long hair or her distinctive blue backpack. Without Hinata's presence, Naruto couldn't help on noticing that the office felt empty.

"Tsunade gave her a sick day, remember?"

He rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Yeah, I had forgotten about that."

"You know what? I know what you need."

He slowly backed away when he saw Kiba's sly smile and he immediately knew what he was subtly suggesting.

…

"Getting me drunk isn't going to solve anything," Naruto grumbled, his eyes scrutinizing at Kurama's dancers onstage.

"Even though you're a pain in the ass when you're drunk, I can't hear anymore of your whining about the paperworks," replied Kiba. "I know someone here who could relieve your… frustrations," he stifled a laugh.

Naruto almost choked on his scotch. "I'm not crazy enough to sleep with a Kurama girl, especially with anyone you know."

"Come on! Today is Friday night, and its been four years after your break-up with—-"

"It's not about that!" Suddenly standing up, Naruto slammed his fist on the table and attracting a few of unwanted attention from other tables near them.

"Naruto, sit down!" hissed Kiba, his eyes darting back and forth to make sure the bouncers weren't walking to their direction.

"I need to take a piss." Like a fire doused with water, Naruto's rage diminished. His words were slurred and before Kiba could grab him, Naruto, with precise movement, slipped from Kiba's fingers and into the dancing crowd.

"Now, where was it," Naruto whispered, grimacing at the noise of the rap music. His eyes squinted against the red lights as he pushed the crowd. Bodies grinded behind him and sweat gathered at the base of his temples.

"Oi, w-watch where yer' goin," he snapped, pushing the girl away.

After fighting his way through the thick crowd, he stumbled toward the back of the club. Through the thundering noise and the people's raucous shouts, Naruto's ears heard something that made him stopped dead in his tracks.

A soft, shrill scream.

A voice that he immediately recognized even in his hazy, fogged state of mind.

Like cutting a coiled spring, Naruto's body sprang into action. Tuning out the music, he closely followed the voice toward the back of the club disregarding the "employee only" door.

"... let go. I'm not…"

His blood ran cold. His eyes narrowed, surveying the situation, and his hands involuntarily flexed into fists. In front of his eyes were three bulky guys, around mid-twenties, surrounding and trapping a woman who eerily reminded him of his female co-worker. His gaze followed one of the men's hand tightly wrapped around the woman's wrist, pinning it against the wall. The two other men, wearing leather jackets that had a strange circle insignia imprinted on their backs, leered openly at her barely-fitted clothes.

The woman's eyes met his.

Desperation. Bewilderment. Regret.

That was the moment when darkness swallowed him.

* * *

 **A/N: For some reason, I had a hard time writing this chapter. This wasn't the ending I was hoping for this chapter but it was too long with the original ending I had in mind. So I cut it in half. Don't forget to R &R! **


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